Water lines to hot water heater

Among those waiting outside the Immigration Department on Nguyen Trai Street in HCMC's District 1 was 22-year-old Nguyen Quoc Danh (R). He said he was there before daybreak because he needed a passport so he could study abroad. He had tried to submit his application three times already, but failed because there were simply too many people ahead of him. Some people brought along a snack to munch as they waited. About two kilometers away, at 5:30 a.m., around 50 people were waiting in front of an immigration office on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street. Demand for passports has soared after the application process was temporarily suspended for one month for "non-urgent" purposes. Since the beginning of this month, people have been flocking to immigration offices to apply for new passports or get old ones renewed. The rush has prompted many residents to arrive at the offices hours before they open. One man dozes as … [Read more...] about HCMC residents line up before daybreak for passports

Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency on July 5. - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired the 15th meeting of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on July 5 amid the appearance of the BA.5 sub-variant of Omicron. Opening the teleconference with the 63 localities nationwide, PM Chinh, who is also head of the committee, pointed out that the pandemic remains unpredictable around the world with the emergence of the BA.5 sub-variant of Omicron in many countries. Read full story - Standing Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Tran Thanh Man hosted a reception in Hanoi on July 5 for a delegation from Indonesia’s Regional Representative Council (DPD) led by Chairperson of its Committee for Parliamentary Cooperation Sylviana Murin. Man said the visit demonstrates the resumption of the two legislative bodies’ delegation exchange activities after a long disruption due to the … [Read more...] about ☕ Afternoon briefing on July 5

Electronics groups from South Korea and Japan are continuing to expand in Vietnam, Le Toan The Saigon Hi-tech Park Management Authority has recently granted the license for Samsung Electronics HCMC CE Complex (SEHC) to expand its operation with a total investment capital of $841 million. Starting operations in 2016, SEHC is currently Samsung Electronics’ second-largest manufacturing site worldwide for TV screens and home electronics units. Meanwhile, Samsung Engineering has officially become the strategic shareholder of DNP Water, a member of DNP Holdings, after spending $41 million to acquire 24 per cent of the company. The pair signed a strategic partnership agreement on June 29. Investing in DNP Water is an opportunity for Samsung Engineering to approach the water treatment sector in Vietnam. With the experience and the competition capacity, it has plans to open wastewater treatment plants and then expand to other surrounding countries. Founded in 1970, Samsung … [Read more...] about Samsung imprinting essential role in fostering capital inflows

The 29-year-old works in Hanoi’s flood-prone Cau Giay District. "After it flooded twice, I’m scared and have to check my weather app every day to make sure to return home early if it forecasts rain," she says, describing her experience of getting caught in the recent rainstorms as a "nightmare." The ride between home and office used to take 15 minutes, but these days it takes over one hour. In late May her bike broke down in the middle of a flooded street. She had to wait for the rainwater to ebb before calling a relative to come and help her push the bike home. The following morning she took a break from work to take her bike to a nearby repair shop and found three or four other customers waiting in line with the same problem. During the second flooding episode on June 13, luckily her bike did not break down. But she had to spend a lot of time driving in the chaotic traffic, which had come to a standstill on many streets. "Now, whenever it starts to rain, I return home … [Read more...] about When downpours turned life upside down in Hanoi

Nghi Son 1 power plant in Thanh Hoa (Source: baothanhhoa.vn) Thanh Hoa (VNA) – The central province of Thanh Hoa collected about 26.33 trillion VND (1.12 billion USD) to the State budget in the first six months of this year, completing 94% of its plan for the period. According to the provincial Department of Finance, domestic collection was estimated at 16.67 trillion VND, fulfilling 97% of the target for the whole year. Of the total, collection from land use fee was over 7.77 trillion VND. Meanwhile, collection from foreign-invested firms exceeded 3.25 trillion VND, and income from the non-State-owned sector topped 1.44 trillion VND. At the same time, income from import and export activities in the first six months of this year hit over 9.65 trillion VND, equivalent to 88% of the plan. Localities across the province also contributed over 10 trillion VND to Thanh Hoa’s State budget collection in the January-June period. Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s … [Read more...] about Thanh Hoa shows strong performance in State budget collection

Increasing the sharing of hydrological and meteorological data and operations of hydroelectric dams remains one of key issues proposed by Vietnam. Vietnam said the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation must be substantive with the coincidence of economic growth and sustainable development. Vietnam's Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son at the meeting. Photos: Baoquocte Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son made the statement at the 7th Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held on July 4 in Bagan, Myanmar in the attendance of his counterparts from Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand. To support the common goal, Son suggested four issues including prioritizing economic recovery and resilience with a focus on customs cooperation and smooth trade transactions; supporting regional members in climate adaptation and energy transition; further cooperation in water resources management and use  by speeding up the building of an action plan on MLC … [Read more...] about Vietnam urges sustainable development for Mekong-Lancang Cooperation